Stay with me in death
by Shelbermonstah-Vslayer
Summary: AU: Rain didn't die in the hive, but came close to. Rain, Claire, Alice and Jill team up to take down Umbrella and Wesker. Rain and Claire pairing. Collab between Vslayer and Snixxers.


**A.N: Yes, we have created a joint account for the pure pleasure of pleasure. No, actually, to facilitate writinggasms that are elicited from our poetic words. Indeed, quite,****. Charmed yet? Well, I want all of you to open up your mind to a little Rain and Claire pairing. You know it's hot. Also, this chapter is massively massive, and so will most of them be. Hope you enjoy. :)**

**Disclaimer: I, we, us, do not own any of the Resident Evil characters, only what me make them do. Muahahaha. *cough***

**Rating: Mature for language, gore and sexy-time.  
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* * *

When she was young, she'd always imagined the zombies like those in the cartoons. Slow, unintelligent, constantly moaning 'brains' like a fucking mantra and walking with their arms stretched outwards. She'd carry around a nerf gun and play the James Bond theme song while she ducked, dived and rolled around furniture as she shot at the family dog. She'd claim victory at the dog's yelp of surprise as it bolted for safety and for a little while, she'd feel invincible.

The brunette pivoted, her elbow cutting through the air with a deadly precision to connect to the soft, rotting flesh of the undead's throat; the force caving in the airway and the prominent Adam's apple to collapse inwards. Her pivot continued with practiced fluidity and her arm straightened out just in time to lodge the bowie knife deep into his temple, the crack of bone and the sickening squish of fluids and brain matter filling her immediate hearing.

They weren't slow. By no means were they intelligent, but the keen animalistic instinct that consumed their minds made them formidable, and in large masses they were a force to fear. If she had time to stop and really think, she'd laugh at herself. Laugh at the absurdity that, three months ago, she wouldn't have a clue about that fact. How would unsuspecting, naïve and cocky Rain know that to kill a zombie, you had to aim for the head? How was she to know that, as a virus spread across the globe, she'd wake up in so much pain she thought she was in hell at the white hot pain that blazed across her back and chest? How was she to know that she'd be fighting for her life as a horde of the undead bore down on her with only one thought on their mind? Kill. Eat. Survive.

The undead collapsed, but his spot was soon replaced by another as it stumbled blindly towards her. Knife abandoned, the woman stepped out of reach and brought the simple Glock handgun from the waist of her jeans and, in one swift motion that had been acquired through years of practice, flicked the safety off, cocked the hammer back and trained the sight at the space right between the eyes and pulled the trigger; another body to add to the growing pile of re-dead.

A body was pressed flush against her back and she twisted in time to place a bullet into the head of an undead that had gotten too close. She thought, idly, about someone else would think if they stumbled onto the scene they'd set up. Two women, back to back, one slightly taller than the other, guns raised and sending a flurry of well-aimed bullets into the three dozen undead that circled them; bodies collecting at their feet and the body count only growing with each felled undead.

"We have to get out of here!" The command of the blonde woman behind her rose above the screeches of the undead around them. A smirk tugged at pink lips as the Latina gave a roll of her eyes.

"No shit, Sherlock." The witty comment flicked from her tongue with little thought. There was no thinking in killing, but there was lots of thinking in surviving. A trained eye roved around them for a moment to search for an opening; a weak spot that, if they worked together, they could burst through and flee back to the black Escalade that they'd occupied only minutes before.

Another shot to keep the attackers at bay and Rain swung her head in the other direction to survey the scene. They had stopped for gas at Dino's, and had been forced inside so Jill could grab a box of Tampax. Go figure Mother Nature had brought Aunt Flow just a little too early. At another time and another predicament, Rain would have teased the ex-cop until the end of time about it, but she figured now wasn't the time or place. The interior of the shop had been empty upon their arrival, but before they had made it back to the Escalade, they'd been ambushed. Jill had been equipped with a submachine and a rifle, and she'd already exhausted her rifle bullets.

"I'm out of bullets!" Rain growled, tossing the Glock hard into the face of an advancing undead, figuring it'd be better use to stun the bloke than to just toss it aside. She had come into the fray with a Glock, her Bowie knife and her fists. Both weapons rendered useless, she had little choice but to resort to good old fashioned fists. Thankful that she'd trained hard in kick-boxing and boxing, Rain struck out with her left in a powerful suckerpunch to the temple, followed swiftly by an uppercut from her left. It did little to put the undead completely out of commission, but it was enough to send it flying back into the bodies of those around it.

And there it was; the opening she'd been searching for. She grabbed onto Jill's wrist and tugged as she lurched forward and into the thinnest part of the horde. Jill, quick to act, used her own gun to dismantle the few that remained in their way. At long last they broke free and Rain was in a full-blown sprint across the parking lot and towards the Escalade, Jill hot on her heels and letting bullets fly over her shoulder as she ran. They were just about to reach their vehicle, their safe haven, when she noticed something they'd missed earlier—the half-dozen undead that had laid in wait by the car.

"Fuck me!" Jill cried, coming to a halt just in time to avoid colliding with Rain. The Latina took one look at those in wait and the group that was only a couple yards away and quickly approaching before bolting in another direction completely. As Jill caught up, her long legs keeping up with Rain as they fled. "I'm out of bullets!" the blonde gasped between breaths. Rain cursed their luck as she glanced over her shoulder to the mob chasing them.

* * *

The youngest Redfield rode her custom Harley down empty streets; everything around her seemed to have stilled in time with an eerie silence. The only sound that could be heard was the powerful engine of her motorcycle and the occasional metal clinking of a car engine cooling off. Her forest green eyes were lacking the blithe they usually shined with as she glanced around the wreckage that was now Raccoon City. It seemed that just a few hours ago, the populated city was swarming with life. Now, debris occupied the once busy streets, displaying the devastation of the sudden outbreak. The city looked abandoned, like it had been the slave of years of hardship and neglect.

Citizens of the now plagued city were swaying and stumbling aimlessly, most likely physically and emotionally injured. The sight was almost too hard to bear, but Claire couldn't be bothered with it right now, she needed to find her brother. Chris, being a member of the S.T.A.R.S special unit, probably had been dispatched to assess the delirious situation. The redhead hoped he had survived the chaos and she was on a mission to find out, ridding in the direction of the R.P.D police station.

What she saw next made the woman's heart stop. A blonde woman, scrawny but toned, wearing nothing but a lab coat, was being chased by a group of men and women. Shotgun in hand, the woman was running in a furry without looking back as the seemingly angered group chased after her. _What the hell did she do? Try to steal their food? Christ._ Furrowing her brow deep in thought, the redhead decided to give the woman a hand, literally. Turning the gas handle, Claire rode past the heard of screeching and moaning undead and called out at the blonde woman when she slowed down to be even with her. ''Hey! Grab my hand! I'll help you climb on!'' The redhead shouted over the rumbling noise of the engine as she extended one of her hands toward the woman, guiding the Harley in a straight line with only one of her hands.

Alice's face was illuminated with surprise as her eyes fell upon the redhead driving beside the mass of undead, that were clawing at her back with a lack of coordination. The scene looked like something you'd see in a James Bond movie and it almost made Alice laugh, but the screeches- which were almost muffled by the Harley's roaring engine- brought her back to the current situation at hand. The blonde effortlessly slid over the hood of an abandoned car that was blocking a part of the road, successfully creating distance between her and the zombies. Just before Alice could set foot on the ground again, she pushed herself up in the air with her legs, landing not too gracefully on the back of the redhead's Harley.

The rear end grinded against the pavement harshly, from the sudden weight crashing on top of it. The force made the front wheel turn the other way, but before the pair could be sent into a tailspin, Claire shifted her weight and redressed the wheels forward. The redhead hadn't uttered a word until they had lost the heard of zombies, visibly angered by the damage her precious motorcycle had just suffered. When Claire was certain they were out of harm's way, she came to a stop in front of an army supply store, where Alice had pointed to just a few moments ago.

Claire let her Harley lean on its kickstand as she hopped off the seat, crossing her arms over her chest and sending a death glare towards the blonde. ''What's your damage? I said _climb_ on it, not fucking _jump_ on it!'' The redhead shouted animatedly. Shaking her head she walked to the back to see just what damage her Harley had taken. Her eyes widened in horror, just like a mom witnessing her child break a bone, when her eyes landed on the busted taillight and numerous scratches where the paint had been shredded off.

It was all quite amusing to Alice who just managed to stifle her laughter. To add insult to injury, the blonde placed a hand on the redhead's shoulder. It would have looked like she was comforting Claire, only if tone she has used wasn't completely sarcastic. ''Don't worry; I'm sure it will survive.'' Smiling impishly, Alice patted the shoulder under her hand and walked into the Army supply store without another word.

_Thanks to me,_ Claire thought to herself, following the taller blonde woman into the store to scavenge for supplies. From what the redhead had just witnessed, they needed a lot of bullets. Though, she couldn't wrap her mind on what these...things were. If they were once human, they sure caught a bad case of rabies. Her mind wondered back to the news she had caught earlier on her radio, something about cannibalistic murders. If her mind wasn't playing tricks on her, the familiar word that echoed in her head was _zombie._ _But how could it be possible?_ ''Do you have any idea of what those things where back there?'' Claire asked to the woman who disappeared behind a rack of clothes, eying a glass case that was proudly displaying hunting knifes.

''Biologically reanimated bodies.'' Alice said in a business tone while slipping on a pair of fitted black pants with matching knee-high combat boots. She then pulled a black; low neck t-shirt over her head and emerged from the rack of clothes, heading straight for the weapons on display. ''Or, in a simpler term: zombies.'' The blonde explained with hardly any emotion as he strapped two holsters around her shoulders, loading them with two Walther P99 Military handguns.

''That's fucking insane.'' Claire replied calmly, idly playing with the pair of aviator sunglasses hanging from the neck of her Nirvana t-shirt. _Fuck, where's Chris when you need him? _The redhead asked herself, watching the other woman handle the handguns with expertise. ''Since we're going to be stuck together, I don't see why we shouldn't introduce ourselves. I'm Claire.'' The woman extended her head towards the blonde.

''You make it sound like a prison sentence.'' Alice said humorously, her mood seemed to have lightened slightly. She walked towards the redhead with a grin, her blue eyes shining. ''My name is Alice.'' Instead of taking Claire's hand and shaking it, she placed a UPS glock and a holster in the outstretched hand. ''You look like you can handle a gun. Just aim for the...head.'' The blonde said with difficulty, feeling a sharp and sudden pain run through her body. Falling to her knees, Alice's vision started to blur, seeing a flash of red before the lights went off.

The blonde awoke with a start, the strange feeling that she was moving settled in. She opened her eyes to see she was now on the back of Claire's motorcycle again, her head had been resting on the redhead's shoulder and her arms were wrapped around her waist. ''Where are we going?'' She asked groggily, removing her arms from the other woman's waist. Before her question could be answered, she spotted two women, one which she recognized, who were being attacked by a dangerous amount of zombies. Without alerting the redhead, Alice jumped off of the Harley and ran to their aid.

Cursing, the redhead followed suit just after letting her motorcycle lean against the kickstand. She withdrew the glock from the holster that was firmly attached to her right thigh, cocking the hammer back and sending bullets pierce through undead flesh.

"Well fuck them if they think Rain Ocampo is going to go down without a fight!" She snarled. They had made it to the main street that lead in and out of the town and she paused only a moment to decide which way to go, then she was running again—further into town. However, the roar of a motorcycle engine caught her off guard, and she barely had time to throw herself out of the way before the said vehicle was roaring past them and towards the zombies. A flash of red and brown was all she saw before one of the women, the brunette, was jumping off the motorcycle, rolling to a stop and then raising with a shotgun poised. She began to shoot as the redhead, still on the motorcycle, skidded to a halt—the back end fishtailing and sliding forward until she came to a complete stop in a flurry of dust. She pulled a Hardballer Magnum from a holster on the thigh and started to shoot with a lethal aim at the dwindling number of undead.

Then, fast as they had come, the undead were exterminated and the brunette was kicking at each corpse to assure they would stay dead. The redhead propped the kickstand and looked back at Rain and Jill, who had stopped to watch in amazement. A wave of relief flooded over Rain, but the pumping adrenaline kept her jumpy and, to an extent, angry. "What the fuck!" she growled as the unnamed pair made their way over, guns drawn and ready to shoot at the breathless duo. "We had that!" she defended, waving an arm to the area behind the strangers and the now bodies.

A gentle hand on her arm made her lower the limb and she glanced in frustration at Jill, who was staring ahead at the others. "Thank you for helping us. We don't have much, but whatever you need, take it. We won't fight you." When Rain jerked her arm away with an indignant groan, Jill turned a stern look to her partner. "Will we?"

When the final zombie had been exterminated by the group of women, Claire stood beside the blonde, her chest was heaving and her green glaring eyes were fixed on blue ones. ''You're fucking crazy you know that? And you owe me a damn paint job.'' The redhead grumbled as she reloaded her weapon before holstering it securely.

Rain turned a hateful glare and, eventually, gave a begrudging sigh. "Fine. Let them take our shit and leave us worse off than we are now. Whatever." She turned and started to stalk angrily away when the brunette spoke.

Angered, the redhead hadn't even noticed her brother's partner who was looking at her with an amused expression. ''Holly shit Jill!'' She jumped into the police officer's arms and gave her a quick hug before pulling back. ''Do you know where my brother his?'' Claire asked tentatively, dreading the answer, but she needed to know if Chris was still alive.

Jill looked uneasy at the question. ''I-I don't know...We got separated in the middle of this mess.'' The cop put a comforting hand on the redhead's shoulder, much like she did to the brunette woman. ''I'm sorry, Claire.'' Jill apologized with sympathy.

"Rain?" Alice muttered in amazement.

Rain pivoted and glared at the woman, brow raised. "That's my name, yes." She paused to look her over better. "Am I supposed to know you?"

"It's me, Alice. We worked together at the Hive. I…You're supposed to be dead." Alice replied

Rain paused, brows knitted together in annoyance and confusion as she eyed Alice. "Pardon me?" she took a threatening step forward, but Jill clearing her throat gave her pause, up until the blonde was hugging the redhead. Eyes focused on Alice, Rain absentmindedly ran a hand over the bullet wound on her chest. 'Sorry to disappoint, but I'm alive and kicking." She retorted angrily before stalking past the newcomers to go and collect the knife and Glock she'd abandoned.

The redhead caught Alice's question to the brunette and decided to butt in. ''Maybe we should discuss this in a safer place.'' She nodded her head towards the gas station. ''Let's go, in there.'' She took the reins and led them in the small gas station, content that Jill was walking by her side.

The redhead walked past by the broken glass doors, having little interest for anything that was around as she walked behind the counter, only one thing was on her mind: Nicotine. Claire always had a pack of cigarettes usually nestled in the inside pocket of her red leather coat. However, today she opted to wear her green army style jacket and as other things fluttered about in her mind, like the chrome headers she had just received for her Harley, she had forgotten to retrieve the pack of cigarettes. Claire rummaged through the drawer, discarding any pack that had been roughed up and covered in dry blood. _Well I'll be damned, this is my lucky day._ The redhead mused as her hand came across an untouched pack of Marlboro; her favorite.

As the brunette kneeled and examined the undead she'd stabbed, she sighed darkly to herself. She took a hold of the handle and placed a foot on the side of his face as she tugged it free. Coagulated blood covered the blade and Rain wiped it on the corpses' shirt. It took her a moment to locate the empty gun, as it was hidden underneath a body, but within the minute she was turning and heading back to the trio. However, they began to walk towards her and Rain paused before Jill pointed to the store. She gave a curt nod and walked ahead of the group and back into the empty gas station. She made quick work to check the rooms, but no remained undead were in sight.

Rain grabbed a Snickers bar from the candy isle and made her way over to the counter, where she hoisted herself up to sit there. Jill had taken to leaning against one of the isle shelves and had her arms crossed tightly over her chest while Alice took a seat right beside Rain. The Latina gave her a dirty look and sighed angrily. "What the fuck are you looking at?" she hissed. Alice gave an unapologetic smile and shrugged, "I'm just glad to see that you're alive is all. Back at the Hive, we thought….We _were_ too late. You'd been bitten for too long. The infection had spread so far that when we gave you the anti-virus…"Rain listened to the woman with a skeptic look on her face. She couldn't remember anything past a month ago. Alice continued. "You changed on us… you attacked Spence and…" she shook her head, "I tried to make it quick and painless, but then that Licker came. I missed," her gaze roved down to the spot on Rain's chest where the bullet had entered. She reached out to run her fingers over it, but Rain jerked away and off the counter.

"Look, I don't know what the fuck you're on, but that…that can't be true." Rain snarled in reply. "I'm not infected, so I can't have been bitten."

Jill, however, looked skeptical. "No, Rain. When I found you down in those tunnels the outbreak had just started. You looked like…you looked like they did." She pointed outside to the carnage, "I took you in because I thought maybe I could heal you before it got worse. Luckily it got better, but for a while I was convinced you wouldn't survive. Not with the damage you had sustained from what I had assumed to be the train crash."

Rain's eyes narrowed, "And you didn't bother telling me this _why_?"

Jill shrugged, "I didn't see it necessary. You didn't remember anything so I thought I'd let you remember it on your own terms."

Alice chimed in, then, "It must've been the T-Virus that healed you so quickly. Kept you alive. Mixed with the anti-virus, it neutralized the negative effects and while it cleared your system of the virus, it had just enough time to use its abilities to heal you."

Rain sighed, a hand rubbing at her face as she shook her head. "I don't know who to trust anymore." She glanced up at Alice, "The bitch who shot me, "then Jill, "The bitch who lied to me or, " she paused in her insult as she looked at Claire, "Or the one who hangs out with the bitch who shot me." She finished extremely lamely.

Rounding the counter with a victorious grin as she pocketed the cigarettes, Claire peeled off her dust clad jacket; thanks to the cloud of sand and dust that came from the aftermath of the skid she did with her Harley. She dusted it with her hand before setting the jacket down on the counter beside the former officer. She leaned her arm against the counter, placing her other hand on her hip as she shifted her weight to her left foot. The redhead couldn't help but stare at the loud and agitated brunette. She looked like someone you wouldn't want to start a fight with, but Claire was convinced behind that badass attitude there was a softy at heart. The redhead chuckled at the Latina's failed attempt at an insult. ''Running low on insults I see.'' Claire countered with a smirk.

She rolled her eyes and headed back outside, where she headed to the Escalade. Kicking at the tire as she passed, the Latina began to curse in Spanish as she rested against the back of the vehicle. This was bullshit. All of it. Right now she should be home with her dog, smoking a cigarette and eating a TV dinner while watching a re-run of 'Law and Order'. Speaking of…

The Latina fumbled in her coat pocket and was relieved to see her pack of cigarettes and lighter had made it with her through the fight. Opening it, she found two cigarettes remained and she took one out before holding it between her lips and lighting it. Taking a deep puff, the Latina relaxed slightly and looked out over the parking lot. "Fuck this." She growled, taking another drag.

The redhead watched the brunette as she stormed out of the gas station. _I guess I would be pissed off too if I wouldn't have been able to care for myself and go through all that horrible pain._

Inside, Jill shook her head, "Don't take it personally. She's just a bitch." Jill shrugged apologetically, but there was a fond smile on her face. "But she's one hell of a fighter."

Alice smiled, "I know. Back in Hive she took on a whole horde by herself." Her face sobered, "She got bit by the first infected we came across. Some lady and when we went to help her, she bit Rain." She laughed then, "So she shot the bitch right then and there. Then we tried to escape, but when we got to the train, it was too late. The anti-virus didn't work… or so I had thought." She glanced out the window to look at Rain against the car. "I had to shoot her, but the Licker was still alive and me and my partner barely had time to jump off the train when that thing crashed it. Rain was still inside. How is she not more damaged?" she asked, the last bit more to herself.

"Like you said, the T-virus perhaps? Jill shrugged, "Whatever it is, she's lucky to be alive." Turning to Claire, Jill tilted her head to the side. "I'm sorry about Chris, Claire. Last I heard, Umbrella had shipped him off to L.A. After the Arklay Mission the corporation stripped me of my uniform and badge and sent Chris away." She paused, "Are you here to look for him?" she asked.

All this talk about the virus was making no sense to her. ''What's this T-virus?'' Claire asked frowning in curiosity.

''The T-Virus is a viral organism that stops the degeneration of dying cells and promotes a massive charge of cellular growth.'' The answer that came out Alice was laced with hatred, though her tone remained passive and business-like.

Still frowning Claire replied: ''So, it brings the dead back to life...fuck me.'' The last statement was said with shock as the women began to understand the severity of the situation. ''How the hell did Umbrella get away with this?'' The redhead asked, wondering why a company that promoted life itself would be so keen on destroying every bit of it.

Alice shrugged nonchalantly, a small smile on the corner of her lips like the answer was so simple to her. ''Because they can.''

Claire shaked her head, still not able to believe all of this. The horrible truth was hard to swallow when you bit off more than you could chew. What Jill said to her next upset her even more: ''Bastards.'' This was said only above a whisper, but it could have been clearly heard by the women in her close proximity. ''Speaking of which; I swear to God that when I find Chris, I will wring his neck.'' The redhead rolled her haggard green eyes as she patted down her jacket in search of her lighter. _Shit, I must have left it in my other jacket. Fuck. _

''Don't give your brother too much shit, Claire. You know everything he does is for your safety. I'm sure he had a good reason for not contacting you.'' Jill hoped to take away Claire's insecurities, although, Chris' former partner couldn't help but worry about the man also.

The youngest Redfield smiled at Jill's words, remembering the times Chris had shown her how to defend herself if someone attacked her. The numerous times he brought her to the shooting range to have his sister practice her aim. Her most fond memory was beating all of her big brother's friends at paintball. Sure, her brother was an overprotective sweetheart, but he could be a knuckled head at times. Sighing, Claire ran a hand through her hair; she was getting slightly agitated as her system's response to the nicotine craving grew more intense with each passing minute. She glanced outside, noticing the naturally tanned brunette lighted herself a cigarette.

"After this, I'm so going to get laid."

The single sentence ran through her mind and she blinked curiously, unsure why the memory of her saying that had suddenly come to mind. She saw her leaning heavily on some guy and Alice was in the background; the Latina looked bent out of shape and blood covered her arms and her Uniform. She sighed, wishing she still had the protective layer of a bullet proof vest and pads. She looked down at the clothes she'd picked from the pile Jill had collected for her; Black pants that clung a little too tightly to her legs and trapped the heat, especially in the sun; a white undershirt that was partially torn and entirely see through to the black bra she had underneath. It was soiled from sweat, blood and dirt, but she didn't mind it; and lastly she'd found a wicked leather jacket that fit just right and allowed her to move freely when she was fighting. She had a pair of shades in the vehicle that she liked to wear, but she wasn't to be bothered trying to find them now.

''I'll be right back.'' The redhead called out as she walked outside, making her way towards the fuming Latina. Although, the woman seemed to have calmed down slightly since she started inhaling the intoxicating smoke. ''Mind if I join?'' Claire asked as she occupied the space next to Rain without waiting for her approval.

She took another long drag and glanced at the single sign reading "No smoking' that was hung over the gas pump. She smirked and exhaled her plume of cancerous smoke and rested the back of her head against the warm car. She was content to just rest in the peace, it had been entirely too long since she'd been able to sleep well since she woke up from whatever had happened to her, but a voice and body appearing next to her made her open her eyes and stare incredulously at the redhead. To say the least, she was somewhat glad it was her that had followed, and not Alice or Jill. She was still angry with the both of them, and at least the redhead hadn't done anything bad yet.

"Hey Red.''

The redhead fished the pack of Marlboro from her pocket and taped the bottom of it with her finger. She pulled a single cigarette from the pack before putting it back in its comfy spot. The young woman held up the toxic cigarette with two fingers, glancing down at the brunette's lighter. ''Share that light, and this pack is as much yours as it is mine.'' The redhead proposed to Rain with a dazzling smile, patting the pocket where the Marlboro was safely nestled. ''I'm pretty sure it's a good investment.'' The redhead pressed to lighten the mood, mirth noticeably apparent in her eyes. The youngest Redfield could have lied and said that she lost the lighter while she was helping Jill and Rain kill the heard of zombies, but something told Claire that the brunette wouldn't fall so easily for that trick.

She greeted her, taking another puff and watching as the girl withdrew her cigarette from a full pack of Marlboro, which just so happened to be her favourite. She eyed in longingly and then at the cigarette between Claire's lips. At the request for a lighter, she scoffed, but then the offer was too good to pass up. She withdrew the stainless steel, black and red lighter she'd stolen a few weeks prior and ignited a small flame before holding it to the tip of Claire's stick until it lit. She didn't put the lighter away, though, and instead she fiddled expertly with it in her free hand.

Claire looked amused at the brunette's facial expression change as she seemed to ponder on her proposition. Rain went from looking like she was about to blow her off and tell her to suck it, from actually accepting the friendly deal when she eyed the almost full pack of Marlboro's. The redhead smiled with the cigarette dangling on her lips as she leaned in closer to the small flame that rose up from the lighter. With a thankful nod and a flirtatious wink, Claire leaned her head against the cool metal of the Escalade as she breathed out the intoxicating smoke into the crisp night air.

"That your bike?" she asked, jerking her head to the propped Harley. "It's a nice ride, but it seems impractical if you ask me." she said bluntly. She patted the Escalade proudly, "But this baby will offer protection. Plus it carries a lot." she smirked, "Auto theft is so easy when you're in the Apocalypse." she joked. She finished her cigarette and tossed it to the ground and squished it with her combat boot. She wasn't sure why it was easier to joke with the redhead, and actually be genuine about it. When she'd share a laugh with Jill, it was mostly from Rain half-heartedly insulting her.

The redhead grinned and shrugged as her eyes fell upon her cherry red Harley. ''Practical or not,'' She started and paused to take another drag of the cigarette. ''I'd choose that bad boy over any other piece of machinery.'' Claire explained with visible appreciation for her motorcycle as she breathed out her second puff.

She relaxed against the car, the nicotine calming her jumpy nerves and she smirked lazily at the redhead. "So what brings you to Vanston? The awesome zombie hunting or the even hotter zombie hunters?" She winked, though she meant it as a joke -mostly. Like Rain did with anyone, male and female, she looked the redhead over and wasn't disappointed. Despite her lean build and the fact she was slightly taller than Rain; she was toned and looked like she could hold her own in a fight. She respected any girl who went against stereotypes or the limits society had tried to put on females. You could call her quite the feminist, even.

She gave a hearty laugh at the Latina's not so subtle coy attitude, but who was she to judge? The redhead was just as guilty. ''Jill is just like a sister to me, and I'm not so keen on incest.'' The young woman paused purposely, making sure to give Rain an obvious look over of her own. The woman's aura glowed with strength and her dark hair did nothing but compliment her soft and beautiful features. She smirked as her eyes locked with the brunettes', arching an eyebrow. ''We'll see if you were worth the visit.'' Claire teased as she inhaled yet another puff of the Marlboro smoke.

Sobering up from the playful banter, the redhead's face suddenly grew more serious. ''I was working on my Harley when this whole...'' She motioned to the pile of dead bodies cluttering the area in search of a fitting word. ''Clusterfuck happened. When I got out of the garage, everything was..._dead_.'' Claire sighed at the morbid memory. ''So, I went to look for my brother, but I landed on Rambo here.'' She nodded her head towards the gas station; referring to the woman she had saved earlier. As the last puff of smoke left her lungs, so did some of the stress of the day's crazy events. Pulling a James Bond to save a nearly naked woman sure was a first for the fiery redhead.

Growing sombre she rubbed at her face to try and keep herself awake. "I miss Rex." she said softly, despite that the woman wouldn't know Rex was her Rottweiler dog she'd left behind -probably to die. "I miss going to a bar and getting drunk off my ass. I miss getting laid. I miss everything." She sighed darkly, realizing that the younger woman probably didn't give a shit about what she missed or didn't miss. She looked up and tilted her head, eyes slightly narrowed as she examined Claire's face. "I want things to go back to normal, and if that Alice bitch knows how to fix this all -I intend to help her." she rubbed at her chest again, a habit she had formed over the last few weeks. "If that means getting the anti-virus, then so be it. I can't just sit by and do nothing anyway." She was ranting, damn it. "I'm sorry, when I'm upset I tend to ramble." she rolled her eyes and shook herself mentally -She was supposed to be tough and badass, not a depressed fool. Much less, she didn't want to annoy the woman with her bi-polar tendencies. "I'm Rain Ocampo -or at least that's what my ID says."

Claire closed her eyes and relaxes after she flicked the cigarette butt away. A smile tugged on the corner of her lips as Rain enumerated the things she missed, chuckling when the words: 'Getting laid' left the brunette's mouth. _Kind of soon too miss all those things. I have a feeling we're going to be stuck in this mess for a while._ The redhead's depressing thought, however, was not spoken. She wasn't pessimist by nature and believed everything happened for a reason.

Claire opened her eyes to glance at the Latina's I.D, Umbrella's name and logo proudly on display on the small card. ''_Soldier_ Rain Ocampo. Well I feel much safer now.'' The redhead teased with a sly grin.

If it had been anyone else, she wouldn't have paid the flirtatious comeback any attention. Sure, she was amused that the redhead could keep up with Rain's banter and respected her for it, but as the situation fell, the girl was hot and the brief idea flickered through her head. She smirked in reply and quirked a challenging eyebrow, "Don't worry Red, this soldier knows how to use her guns." She chuckled softly and popped herself off the back of the black vehicle and was in the process of opening the snickers bar she'd snatched when a loud bang stopped the delicious candy half-way to her mouth. Spotting the intruder, she immediately went on defence. Essentially, she was weapon less and this beast looked like he could take a punch.

Claire's mind backtracked to Alice, but before the question could get passed her lips, the two women were both interrupted by a loud crash, their attention diverted to the source of the disrupting sound. A large skinless beast was crouching on its four legs a few feet in front of them, where Claire's Harley was parked. Drool dripped from its long tongue and sharp teeth as it eyed the redhead and Rain with feral hunger.

The expression of pure rage, that would have been shock and terror in any other circumstance, which she currently wore on her face, was from the site of her precious Harley. The powerful machine had been thrown on the ground with such force that the front wheel came off, the suspension snapping on contact. The gas tank was indented on the side and the rear tire had busted from the sudden impact.

With her fist tightly clenched at her side, the redhead went to grab the handgun on her thigh. Before she could react, however, an explosion caused her to turn away, shielding her face with her hands from the ricocheting debris and heat resulting from the blast. Claire caught a glimpse of Jill and Alice who were now standing outside. The blonde held her handgun aimed straight ahead of her. She had shot the fuel tank of the damaged Harley which sent the mutated zombie into a fiery oblivion before it could harm the two women. Claire's eyes were still fixated on the now burning Harley; her hands fell to her sides in defeat. _FUCK this situation, and FUCK that thing!_

She fumbled at her waist for the hidden Bowie, but before she could grab it an explosion erupted from where the Harley and beast stood. She shielded herself –and the Snickers, of course- as debris and smoke buffeted at her clothes. Blinking away the smoke from her eyes, she coughed and waved her free hand in front of her face. Spotting the inferno that used to be a Harley and the burnt corpse, her eyes went wide. Unable to stop herself, she began to chuckle- much like a teen who just watched something awesome happen- "Oh shit." She chuckled and took a bite of her Snickers as she turned and gave Claire a semi-sympathetic look. "Bye bye, baby Harley."

Gritting her teeth, the redhead stayed silent as she kicked the ground in frustration and opened the passenger side of the Escalade and jumped in, her body language expressing the words she stopped herself from shouting.

Rain smirked and laughed softly again as she watched Claire storm off to sit in the car. Jill came up to stand beside her and gave a chastising growl, "You're lucky Alice was there or you'd be dead right now." Rain shrugged and took another bite of her chocolate treat before finishing it off and tossing the wrapper behind her

The former police officer glanced at Alice from the corner of her eye. ''We shouldn't stay here; the explosion is going to attract them.'' Jill made her way towards the unphazed Escalade. ''Nice shot.'' She called out to Alice without turning around as she mimicked the redhead's earlier actions and entered the Cadillac, taking the seat beside the angered woman.

The blonde smirked and holstered her pistol, following the ex-cop and entering the passenger's side of the comfortable leather clad seat. ''We have to stop Umbrella. In the hive, they have the anti-virus. It will be useful for your survival.'' Alice explained vaguely as all the women entered the vehicle, making sure to exclude herself purposely, knowing the T-virus was already in her system. Though she wondered what would happen if a mutated zombie took a chunk out of her.

''Infiltrate and retrieve. Sounds good to me.'' The former cop said in agreement with the blonde, looking over at Claire who seemed to be unaware of their conversation. Jill didn't mean to, but she couldn't help but chuckle at the sight of the redhead still eying the wrecked motorcycle like someone had just shot her puppy.

Claire finally tore her eyes away from her Harley. ''Let's just go.'' She said and slumped further into the seat, sighing deeply. The redhead couldn't help but throw one last glance at her motorcycle before they drove away from the gas station.

By the time the brunette climbed into the car, everyone was already situated. She noted, with displeasure, that Alice had gotten shotgun. She gave her a dirty glare and started up the engine before pulling out of the parking lot and out of town.


End file.
